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Temporal discounting is linked to economic stability and inequality

A study across 61 countries showed that, on a global scale, individuals are often inconsistent when choosing between immediate and future financial options. Although economic inequality is associated with this decision-making process, nearly everyone demonstrates these anomalies, and instability can lead to worse choices, even in wealthy individuals.

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Fig. 1: Global indications of intertemporal choice.

References

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This is a summary of: Ruggeri, K. et al. The globalizability of temporal discounting. Nat. Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01392-w (2022).

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Temporal discounting is linked to economic stability and inequality. Nat Hum Behav 6, 1331–1332 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01393-9

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